The present invention relates to supports for communications cable and the like and more particularly to a flexible such supports that provide a safe and secure mounting for fiber optic and other similar cables in areas where relatively flat mounting locations are not readily available.
With the advent and growth of computer and communications applications in the business environment, the retrofit installation of delicate and sophisticated cabling such as twisted pair and fiber optic cables has become more and more of an issue. Unlike conventional electrical wiring, such cabling cannot be abused either in its installation or use. Bending excessively, kinking, sharp bending, contact with sharp edges, etc. all can cause harm to the cable which affects its intended performance. This problem is not quite so significant in new construction where cable trays designed to receive such cabling are installed during construction to accommodate current and future needs. In retrofit applications, however, means must be provided for the easy, safe and secure installation and maintenance of such cabling.
Accordingly, a number of hangers or supports for such cabling have been designed and marketed primarily for the retrofit market. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,994 describes a cable support which is generally J-shaped and has a saddle portion which is curved around the base of the J and flat across the base of the J. Downward extending flanges on either side of the flat base of the J are provided to ease the transition of a sagging cable suspended between two such supports as the cable is laid from one side of the support, across the flat portion of the support and off of the other side thereof. Use of the cable support described in this patent requires the use of a separate cable tie across the open face of the J to secure the cable after installation.
A variety of flexible such supports have also been suggested for such use. One such device is manufactured and sold by Caddy Fasteners of Solon, Ohio. This device utilizes a flexible strap having one end thereof attached to a mounting base and the opposing or free end thereof including a rigid cross member whose exposed ends engage tabs on the mounting base when the flexible strap is folded upon itself to encompass inserted wiring. In order to tightly secure the strap to the mounting base, crimping of the mounting base incorporated tabs is necessary. While such crimping provides a secure closure of the support, removal of a wire or the insertion of another wire or wires is made more complicated by the need to xe2x80x9cuncrimpxe2x80x9d the tabs to permit removal of the flexible strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5.964,434 to E. J. Lynch, Jr. issued Oct. 12, 1999 describes a fireproof cable loop forming strap of substantial width having pockets at each end to receive front and rear spreader bars that project beyond the lateral edges of the strap and are designed to engage hook tabs projecting from the face of a hanger plate or yoke for mounting. According to a preferred embodiment, the rear spreader bar is preassembled with the yoke or hanger plate so that it cannot be removed therefrom. While such a device provides a useful cable support, the use of spreader bars results in the increase in the number of parts that may be lost or become separated from the hanger prior to installation and increases the number of steps required to complete installation, since at least the front spreader bar must be inserted into its pocket prior to mounting. Additionally, the presence of spreader bars that extend beyond the lateral edges of the strap requires that a wider area be found for installation of the hanger. Since use of such devices is often in areas of very limited space, the need to find a relatively wide area into which to install the strap complete with spreader bars may be very inconvenient.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/295,082 filed Apr. 20, 1999, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes an integral communications or other similar cable hanging strap that comprises a base for mounting on an appropriate structural member, a flexible strap integrally formed with the base, the flexible strap having a base end attached to the base and a distal end that includes an aperture for engaging an appropriate attachment button on the front side of the base. While this device provides a suitable mounting device for communications cable and the like, it possesses one shortcoming. The shortcoming is that the distal end engaging the button can become accidentally separated from the button during subsequent movement of the support during the installation of additional cables or other construction and installation activities.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flexible cable support structure that provides an integral cable support with rapid and easy securing of the flexible strap to its mounting without the need for crimping or other additional installation steps.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flexible cable support that provides a secure mounting for cables or wiring that can be readily disassembled for removal of one or more wires or the insertion of additional wires without the need to xe2x80x9cuncrimpxe2x80x9d or otherwise perform additional operations to unfasten the support.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a flexible cable support that while easy to assemble, install and intentionally disengage, will not allow accidental disengagement.
According to the present invention, there is provided a unitary or integral communications or other similar cable hanging strap that comprises a base for mounting on an appropriate structural member, a flexible strap integrally formed with the base, the flexible strap having a base end attached to the base and a distal end that includes an aperture for engaging an appropriate attachment button on the front side of the base as well as tabs on the rear surface of the strap that inhibit accidental disengagement of the flexible strap, but permit easy intentional disengagement thereof. In use, wiring to be supported is placed within the flexible strap, the strap bent to encompass the wiring and the aperture engaged about the attachment button with concurrent engagement of tabs on the rear surface of the strap with the base. This construction provides a wiring support that is not easily disengaged by random movement of the wiring, but is easily opened by disengagement of the tabs with the base by bending of the flexible strap for removal of one or more wires or insertion of additional wires. The improvements described herein relate to structural reinforcements and materials selections that resist the xe2x80x9ccreepxe2x80x9d of the materials of construction when such devices are exposed to high temperatures, above about 125xc2x0 F., under heavy loading conditions.